Honda launched the all-new Civic sedan in India yesterday, and the 10th generation car has been priced at a premium compared with its rivals – the Toyota Corolla Altis, the Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Elantra. So, whom does Honda want to target the Civic at? Well, the TVC below should give you an idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEcPWk-7p2c
As the TVC indicates, Honda is banking on the goodwill that the last generation Civic managed to earn for itself in the Indian market. Bordering cult levels, this goodwill is what Honda hopes will bring in buyers for the Civic, which has now grown in size, has an additional engine on offer, and is full of features.
The all-new Civic that Honda has launched in India is the facelifted version of the 10th generation model, which means that the car is the latest that the Japanese automaker sells globally. The Civic features fastback styling, and this gives its a very unique silhouette, one that will help it stand out from its rivals.
The new car is not as low slung as the previous generation model though. The new car is also larger than the older Civic, and this should give occupants of the car more comfort thanks to the overall space going up on all fronts. Prices of the new Civic start from Rs. 17.7 lakhs for the petrol model, and Rs. 20.5 lakhs for the diesel.
As for engines, the new Civic brings back the 1.8 liter i-VTEC motor – a tried and tested performer. The petrol engine makes 138 Bhp of peak power and 174 Nm of peak torque. It’s paired with a CVT automatic gearbox that gets seven stepped shifts, and paddle shifters on higher variants.
Clearly, the new Civic is not positioned at enthusiasts, who will have to opt for the Skoda Octavia. As for the newly introduced diesel motor, it’s the same one that the CR-V offers. The 1.6 liter i-DTEC all aluminium turbocharged diesel makes 118 Bhp-300 Nm, which is nothing to write home about in terms of outright outputs.
The strong points of this motor though are its real world drive-ability and excellent fuel efficiency of 26.8 Kmpl. The diesel engine gets a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard and there’s no automatic option. This indicates that Honda is aiming for the chauffeur-driven car market with the diesel Civic while the petrol version will be marketed to buyers who like to get behind the steering wheel.
As for features, the new Civic is stuffed. The top-end ZX trims of the car get LED headlamps, LED DRLs, 17 inch alloy wheels, dollops of chrome meant specifically for the Indian market, push button start with key-less entry, automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, leather seats, dual zone climate control, 7” touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. panoramic sunroof, 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, electronic stability control, hill hold, electric parking brake and a reverse camera.